The fire started in a school building at a primary and secondary school and quickly spread to other buildings on Thursday, according to local official Moïse Lubala. Several people died in the chaos that followed during the evacuation, while others died after being trapped inside the school buildings.
The number of fire victims comes from the rebel group M23, which controls parts of the region in the civil war raging in eastern Congo-Kinshasa. The M23, which is believed to be supported by Rwanda, took Bukavu in the spring of 2025.
The death toll may rise, as reports from the school said rescue workers had difficulty entering the wooden buildings, which quickly caught fire.
